


The Gallifreyan

by Writless



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Meeting in wrong order, Original Character(s), Romance, Slow Build, Time Travel, Timey Wimey, original episodes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2016-01-21
Packaged: 2018-02-15 09:17:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2223678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writless/pseuds/Writless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Calypso's disposition to hurtling through time meant she was bound to cross paths with the Doctor. Unfortunately, their meetings are rarely in order. Despite the Doctor's penchant for trouble and unusual personality, Calypso begins to look forward to these trips. But with each new adventure, she begins to fear she may be approaching the end. Original episodes, AU-ish.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Convent 1304-Part 1

The clouds swept across the star strewn sky above Calypso, but her eyes were focused to the east where the lights of the city glowed like a beacon. There were no details of the skyline, but the warm glow of so many lights and so many lives was mesmerizing. She wondered how the people of London ever got any sleep.

The breeze picked up and she shivered, the chill of autumn quickly turning to winter frost. Pulling her cloak tighter she refocused her efforts on the task at hand. She was meant to be watching the animals.

The Sisters of St. Ada lived on a hill overlooking the city because they served its people, both by spreading the word of scripture, and by feeding those unfortunates who found they were unable to provide for themselves. The farm they tended was quite fruitful, and they had a small collection of livestock to provide meat.

They had modest pens, but they had always been sufficient in the past. Only now, some of the animals had begun to disappear. First it was a hen, they thought the fences had failed and the animal had wandered into the woods. But then a goat vanished, and a cow after that.

It took a desperate kind of person to rob a convent and so they had decided to post a watch in the hopes of dissuading the thief, and perhaps offering some guidance in the right direction.

All took a turn at the watch, but Calypso only ever seemed to get the shifts during the deepest part of the night. And she knew exactly why. It was the same reason she was usually assigned an extra laundry shift, or an extra turn at mucking out the stalls. Prioress Florence was in charge of such things, and she wasn’t especially fond of Calypso.

The problem was with Calypso’s past, or lack thereof. The Sisters had found Calypso face down in the road, miles from anywhere. It was as though she had fallen straight out of the sky. When she finally came to, all she had to call her own was her name.

She knew most of the sisters suspected her of hiding the truth out of shame or fear, Prioress Florence especially so. But if there was anything in her history that she needed to repent, Calypso could not recall it. Sometimes there were dreams. Fields of blood red grass and skies crowded with too many suns. Impossible bright lights and sharp desperate screams. Nothing that gave her any real insight to her past, or help to understand how she had arrived here.

The clouds above dissipated further and the cool pearly light of the moon lent a brightness to the grounds. The animals still slept inside the stables, only the sound of their breathing interrupted the night. That’s when she realized she had not seen Sister Anita’s lamp bobbing out in the fields in some time.

She crossed the fence and circled the small cluster of buildings, thinking perhaps Sister Anita had passed out of view. As she moved forward, a single scream pierced the night, followed by something else entirely. A dark animal howl that froze Calypso to the core.

Her mind screamed for her to flee, to wake the Sisters and escape to the safety of the stone walls that surrounded the convent. But the growing silence clawed at her chest. What of the Sister?

“Sister Anita!” She shouted, her feet pounding into the frost hardened ground before she could convince herself against it. She was running, not toward the convent, but in the direction of the scream. Hoping desperately she wasn’t too late. She could see the shadow of the tree line where the fields gave way to forest and headed toward it. “Anit-” Her cries were cut short as a hand clasped over her mouth. She struggled against the thief but he’d pinned her arms to her sides with his free hand.

“Hush. Hush now.” A man hissed in her ear. “I’m terribly sorry about all this, it’s just important we don’t attract any unwanted attention. Anita’s fine, she’s just fainted. Had a bit of a scare. I need you to keep quiet, do you understand?” His hand still muffled her, waiting for some sign that she had heard him. “I’m _not_ going to hurt you,” he promised in the same low tone he’d been using. She considered screaming but it seemed unlikely anyone would hear her this far from the convent. “Can I trust you to stay quiet?”

She nodded quickly, even as she tried to formulate some plan in her mind. This was clearly the thief who had been stealing their livestock and she had only his word that Anita was even still alive.

“Alright, I’m letting go now.” He warned her, loosening his grip and stepping back.

She spun on him and took a few steps back. She could see him plainly in the moonlight, his pale hands raised in an appeasing gesture. His short dark hair stuck up at odd angles like some kind of madman, but his dress was that of a man of means. He wore an unusually tailored blue jacket, with trousers in a matching shade. His white tunic was tied at his throat with a red scarf that fell to his stomach and disappeared inside his jacket.

“Oh!” His somber face transformed suddenly, a grin splitting his face. “Hello Calypso! Didn’t know I’d be seeing you here.” His familiarity made her uncomfortable. She was certain she would remember such a strange man as this.

“Are you from London?” She asked, doubtfully. Perhaps if he were one of the lesser fortunate she had helped on a trip to the city, she might be able to convince him to let her and Sister Anita go.

“Oh, no. No, no.” He shook his head adamantly. “I’m from- well, it’s a long way off.” He frowned, inspecting her carefully. “Do you really not remember?” Calypso stared at him, unsure of what to say. “Oh,” he said thoughtfully as he ran a hand through his wild hair. “Right, right. You only move forward. So this…is this the first time we’ve met?”

His question caught her off guard, especially since she could make no sense of it. “I’m sorry, I’ve seen many faces in the city with my Sisters. We help feed the needy and heal the sick. Perhaps I have seen you there?”

“Nah,” he drawled. “Not really the ‘sick’ type. Well, I suppose that depends on your definition. Well,” he shrugged. “And who you’ve been talking to.”

But she had stopped listening, because over his shoulder a shadow flickered across the moon. She stared, transfixed as she saw it more clearly between the branches of the trees that stood above them. It was huge, larger than any animal she had seen. Its translucent wings carried it through the sky as it passed across the moon once more. She opened her mouth and raised to point, but she was too terrified to scream or even breathe.

“Calypso?” The man stepped closer, waving his hand across her line of sight. “Are you-” His words were interrupted by the creature shrieking above them. It reminded her of the cry of a hawk, but louder and vastly more frightening. “Oh, right.” He said brightly. “That’ll be the thing whose attention we wanted to avoid. Come on!” He shouted as he threw himself against her, causing them both to crash into the ground beneath the trees.

She felt the wind of the animal’s wings as it pulled out of its swooping dive at the last moment, tree branches snapping and cracking above them. She heard the rippling of its leathery wings as it beat the air powerfully to regain height and it screeched in rage at its escaped prey.

“Sorry,” he apologized as he rolled off her. Calypso struggled to catch her breath as she rubbed the back of her scalp where she’d struck an unearthed tree root. She blinked and she watched the retreating form of the creature as it disappeared.

“He’ll be a bit, needs to regroup. We should have enough time to get back to the church.” He ducked past Calypso as she pushed herself up from the ground. When he reappeared, he had Anita’s unconscious form with one arm draped over his shoulder. “Grab on will you? We haven’t got much time.”

Calypso moved quickly to take Anita’s other arm and help bear some of the load.

“Alright, ready?” He looked at her with a smirk playing on his lips as they reached the edge of the trees again.

“Ready for what?”

“Ready to run,” He grinned. “Allons-y!” He didn’t wait for her to answer, instead he ran and Calypso was dragged after him. She did her best to keep pace with his long bounding strides, too afraid to fall behind and be left with the creature. Anita’s head bounced between them, unaware of the danger they were in. Calypso scanned the skies, hoping against all hopes that it had gone away; or that it had never even _been_ in the first place. Her breath raked in her chest and her legs began to falter, but she could see the flickering torches of the convent growing nearer and she knew they were going to make it.

The cry of the beast from behind them chilled her blood, it no longer needed time to regroup. She tried to push her legs harder but she could feel them turning to rubber and the sound of wing beats above them sapped her remaining strength.

“Keep going!” The man shouted, dropping the full weight of Sister Anita onto Calypso’s shoulders. She staggered and nearly fell to the ground, coming to a complete stop. “Come on now, the Calypso I know is no quitter.” He nodded toward the convent. “You keep going. I’ll keep it distracted. Get inside!” He shouted as he took off in the opposite direction they had been running.

“Oi!” He shouted at the sky. “Big boy! Lookit here!” His voice faded and she took a deep breath and struggled forward, closing the distance between her and the stone gates. She heard the creature scream again, but it was no longer directly behind her. She reached the convent doors and threw her weight against it, bursting inside with Sister Anita in tow. Her legs gave out beneath her once inside, both women dropped heavily onto the stone floor.

“Novice?” Sister Margaret’s voice rang with concern, prayer beads clasped in her hands as she stood from the wooden bench where she had been seated. “What has happened?”

“Please,” Calypso gasped for breath as she sat upright. “Take Anita to the infirmary. Get Mother Catherine.” She said firmly. Sister Margaret stood there, shock plain on her face. “With haste!” Calypso snapped, her tone harsher than she intended, but the woman ducked forward, scooping Anita up and carrying her deeper into the convent.

For a moment she wanted to follow, but her eyes turned back to the door as she stood up. That man, as perplexing as he was, had saved her. And likely Anita as well. Not only that, but he _knew_ her. She couldn’t leave him out there, not without finding out who he was and what it was he knew about her past.

It was still another moment before she could force her legs to obey. Her steps were halting, but she finally stepped back outside, beyond the safety of the convent walls. She saw no sign of them, man or monster.

“Sir?” She whispered into the darkness, her voice hardly audible. Nothing moved, save the gentle breeze that tugged on her cloak. She took a few more steps in the direction of the stable, thinking he might have taken shelter there. Her eyes strained in the darkness, every shadow held a threat of the creature. “Sir, are you there?” She spoke as loudly as she dared but still there was nothing.

She took one more step toward the stable and suddenly the wind was whipping up all around her, blowing dirt and her own dark hair up into her eyes. She threw up her arms and turned for the convent. The same chilling cry from before pierced the night and now she could see it clearly up above. It had been sitting on the roof, waiting for her. Its glowing coal eyes stared down at her and it leapt into the night, screeching as it made a wide circle to dive at her and finish the job it had started.


	2. Convent 1304-Part 2

“Not the distraction I was looking for, but that’ll do!” The man shouted from behind her. She tore her eyes from the monster and saw him near the stone wall that surrounded the convent. “Come on then! Not really the time for sightseeing!” He yelled as he grabbed her hand in his own and yanked her toward the convent doors.

The creature shrieked above them, so close now that the sound pierced her head like a needle and she was certain she could feel the whisper of its hot breath on her neck.  She gripped the man’s hand tighter and didn’t dare look back as they threw themselves through the open doorway.

The man turned sharply and slammed the door behind them. Both of them fell against it, a heavy thump shook the other side a moment later. The wood creaked and groaned under the weight of the monster. Calypso reached up for the cross beam and dropped it into place across the door, adding further protection.

The door bounced again, the sound of claws scrabbling against the wood as it struggled to get inside but the door held. The beast screamed its displeasure before the familiar beat of its wings took over, suggesting it was leaving.

Calypso let her legs crumple beneath her, sliding to the floor ungracefully. The man collapsed next to her, a shaky grin on his face.

“Well, there we are then. Made it in one piece,” his mood was unaffected by the fact that they had both nearly died. “Now there’s just the matter of getting the net ready. You were brilliant.” He told her, glowing.

“Who _are_ you?” She had a hundred questions, but that one was the most pressing.

“Oh. I’m the Doctor,” he said cheerfully. He leaned close and grew serious. “And I’m sorry, but you’re really starting to cut off my circulation.”

His eyes flickered down and she had to follow his gaze to understand. Her hand still grasped his, her knuckles were clenched so tight they had faded several shades. “Sorry.” She mumbled, dropping his hand as though it were a snake.

“S’alright.” He shrugged, flexing his fingers and winking at her. “No harm done.”

“And what is the meaning of _this_?” Prioress Florence’s sharp voice carried louder than the furious drumming of Calypso’s heart. She groaned inwardly, wishing that Sister Margaret had just done as she’d been told. Of course the Prioress tended to involve herself in all matters at the convent. At least this time she could not reasonably blame Calypso for this trouble, even if she was tempted to.

“Novice Calypso?” She glared at the spot where Calypso still sat, unable to gather the strength to stand. “I should have _known_. Why are you not in the fields? Do you care so little for this congregation that you would abandon your duty? And what is-” she gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth as the Doctor stood, helping Calypso to her feet.

She wasn’t entirely grateful, especially with Prioress watching. She had hoped to stay on the floor a bit longer, and perhaps melt away beneath the woman’s furious narrowed gaze. But perhaps it was better that it did not look like she was cowering.

“You have brought a _man_ into our sacred home?” She whispered the words like a curse.

“I’m not a _man_.” The Doctor said, indignant. “I’m the Doctor.”

Prioress Florence dismissed his words. “I knew you were a black stain, ill-suited to this holy place.” She strode forward and pointed her crooked finger at Calypso. “When the Mother Superior finds out about this, she will send you back to whatever dark hole you crawled-”

“Would you speak for me, Florence?” Mother Catherine’s voice cut through whatever threat she’d been about to make. For the first time that night, Calypso felt relief as she saw Sister Margaret appear just behind the Mother Superior.

“Forgive me, reverent Mother.” Prioress Florence bowed deeply, regaining her composure. “Back to the field, Novice, so we might discuss what is to be done about your _reprehensible_ behavior.”

Calypso felt a hysterical giggle start to bubble up from her lips and she slapped her hands over her mouth to prevent it from continuing. She doubted there was anything that could make her go out in those fields again. The Doctor smirked, clearly pleased that some of his madness had spread to her.

“Oh,” the Doctor stepped forward, attempting to look serious once more and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I really wouldn’t do that. There’s a rather predatory Trecadonyl out there, and it’s on the hunt.”

Everyone stared at him, his cryptic words a puzzle none could sort out.

“Have you noticed any livestock go missing recently?” He tried again eyeing both Mother Catherine and Prioress Florence equally, though it looked like the latter was the one who needed convincing. “Maybe it started small, a chicken or two. But then it escalated. A goat, a horse, a cow maybe. Does any of that sound familiar?” He pointed back at the door behind him. “Open that door, and you’ll find the problem. Rather immediately. And immediately after you’ll be devoured. But, I suppose people give up all sorts of things for knowledge. Any takers?” he scratched his chin thoughtfully.

“This man speaks madness.” Prioress Florence still had a scowl fixed on her face.

“Novice Calypso?” Mother Catherine turned her scrutinizing gaze to Calypso. “Does this man spin falsehoods in our sacred home? Or do his words ring of truth?”

Calypso didn’t truly know how to answer. Much of what he’d said hadn’t made sense to her, but she did not have any doubts about that creature outside being dangerous.

“I believe he speaks the truth, reverent Mother. There is something outside, a beast. It attacked us and I believe it meant to kill. If not for this Doctor, I don’t believe Sister Anita or myself would have survived.” She realized suddenly that it was true. She turned her attention to the Doctor. “Thank you.”

He grinned and clicked his tongue, looking pleased with himself.

“Well then, physician,” Mother Catherine inclined her head to the Doctor ever so slightly. “I believe we owe you our deepest gratitude.”

“No trouble,” the Doctor beamed. “Happy to help.” They were interrupted by the shrill screeching of claws against the large windows of the chapel. “Though, might want to save the congratulations for later. We’re not quite out of the woods yet.” He beckoned Calypso away from the door and toward the hallway. Her eyes were glued on the window but she found her legs obeying without giving much thought to it. The windows started to squeal as they cracked under the pressure from outside.

“Quickly,” the Doctor pushed Calypso along and directed the rest of the women further into the chapel. “Quickly now, down the hall, mind the windows.”

Mother Catherine moved first, ushering the rest of them to follow her down the hall. Calypso and the Doctor followed closely behind, careful to avoid the windows. They were halfway down the hall when the windows shattered, eliciting a scream from both the Sisters and the winged monster. Calypso looked back and saw its horned face poking in through the open window. It opened its wide fanged mouth and growled, seeing its prey almost within reach.

“Come on, he’s not going to be any friendlier in person!” The Doctor urged when he realized everyone had come to a standstill. “Oh, I’ll show you the ship.” He said as he grinned at Calypso. “I think you’ll like that.”

She couldn’t think of how he’d gotten a vessel into the narrow halls of the convent, but she was more than happy to follow him away from the monster behind them. They rounded the corner and headed toward the kitchens which were deserted at this late hour. The sound of the creature crashing into the temple as it breached the window fully echoed through the hallway.

“Ladies, does this room have only the one door?” The Doctor stopped in front of the heavy wooden door.

“It does.” Mother Catherine answered.

“Then I think it’s best if you shut yourselves in and barricade it. Don’t come out until I come to retrieve you, do you understand? I’ll handle this sky-demon. You all need to. Stay. _Put_.” His tone left no room for argument, although Prioress Florence still looked as though she wanted to. Mother Catherine gave a curt nod, unused to taking orders, but she was also no fool. Calypso went to follow them but the Doctor grabbed her elbow.

“No no. Not you. Come on, I’ve got to show you the Tardis.” He clicked his tongue and nodded further down the hall. “It’s alright,” he reassured Mother Catherine who looked not at all pleased with the arrangement. “I’ll keep her safe. Remember, stay _inside_.”

“As you say, Doctor.” Mother Catherine began to shut the door, but she spared Calypso a quick glance. “Stay safe, Novice.” And then she shut the door completely.

“Come on,” the Doctor grabbed Calypso’s hand again and led her further down the hall. They came to an abrupt halt because the way was blocked by a large bright blue box. He let go of her hand as she stared and fished in his pocket for something. “Oh,” he held out a tiny key. “You’re gonna love this.” He promised her with a grin as he pushed in one side of the box as though it were a door. He tilted his head invitingly and stepped inside.

She stood there, eying the box with suspicion. There was a golden glow coming from the interior and she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to find the source. But there was a feral howling coming from the chapel, encouraging her to move, especially since it was growing closer.

She stepped inside the box and her eyes adjusted to the bright light inside. She heard the door click shut behind her but she was too overwhelmed by her new surroundings to pay it much attention.

The box had appeared small, but this place she was in was huge, larger than the inside of their chapel. She spun around, at a loss for words. It was _impossible_ , and yet somehow it seemed fitting after the evening she had just had.

“Eh? What did I say?” The Doctor caught her attention once more. He stood in the center of the great room, around a large platform which had a variety of bright lights and strange metallic buttons and knobs on it. “What do you think, do you like it?”

“I…” She was struck mute by this place. Not only its enormity but something else, something drummed in her blood, filling the air around her with static. It felt strangely _familiar_. Like there was something in this room that was calling out, calling _her_.

Her eyes locked on the center of the room, there was a glowing glass tube the color of fireflies and it was pulsing like a beating heart. She felt certain the calling was coming from that. “It’s _beautiful_.” She whispered, finally able to speak the words. She took a step forward, almost afraid to encroach on such a thing.

“Right you are.” He grinned. “Go on then, have a look around. She doesn’t bite.”

Calypso took a steadying breath and took another step, trying to take as much in as she could. The walls were not made of stone, but neither were they wood. They were some slick surface that she couldn’t identify. Giant tree-like pillars supported the ceiling overhead and she let her hand brush one as she passed it. The extraordinary porous substance was cool to the touch and smooth against her skin.

The Doctor circled the platform, pulling knobs and spinning several dials as he went and the whole room began to make a whirring sound. The floor rattled and shook beneath her feet and she feared that the creature had found them and was going to tear the box apart to kill them.

“It’s alright,” he reassured her as he saw her stricken face. “Just casting the net to capture the wee beastie. Want to return the lost duckling to its flock before it gets into any more trouble.”

“ _Duckling_?” She stared at him, still trying to grow accustomed to the unsteady floor. She wondered if she had seriously underestimated how _mad_ this man truly was.

“Oh sure, he’s just a baby yet. He’s got a bit off course. They migrate every billion, billion years. When the Milky Way and Andromeda align it sends a signal-” He paused when he noted the vacant look on her face, as though she’d registered nothing of what he’d said. “They’re galaxies…” he struggled for words, ruffling his hair with one hand as he stared at her. “Stars? Those bright dots in the sky. Show up every night-”

“I’m familiar.” She said absently, her attention was on the pulsing cylinder again. “You just say many strange things.”

“Yeah,” he drawled. “I do tend to go on.”

She reached the platform and touched a few of the glowing bulbs gently, but she was drawn again to the center. She reached her hand out, hesitating only a moment before she finally pressed it against the smooth surface. It was warm to the touch, and thrummed against her skin.

The feeling of familiarity was back, the call spoke directly to her. _Home_. It said. Images flashed in her mind, familiar ones from her dreams, and others. The red fields, the shining lights. Faces covered in soot and blood as everything burned around them.

She shuddered as the scenes overloaded her senses, far more real than when she had dreamt them. She knew they belonged to her, that they were pieces of her, but she didn’t understand how. She gasped as she wrenched her hand back, afraid of what it meant. She hadn’t realized she was crying until she opened her eyes and found the room was blurred around her. She couldn’t tell if the tears had been from relief or misery.

“Oh,” the Doctor had stopped what he was doing and watched Calypso with a strange intensity. “That’s not something I’ve seen before. Think she likes you.”

“It’s- it’s _alive_.” She choked out, taking a step backward. She wiped at her face hastily to try and hide her distress but she couldn’t stop shaking. “How can it be alive?”

“Course she’s alive, she’s the Tardis.” The Doctor scoffed, but he quickly saw the Calypso was still deeply upset. “It’s alright.” He stepped closer, putting his hand on her shoulder. “I don’t think she meant to startle you. Honestly I’m not even sure how you managed that-”

“Doc-Doctor!” Something was very wrong, and she could feel it.

“Just because I’ve not seen it before doesn’t mean it’s something _bad_.”

“No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “My hands.” They were glowing. It was as though they had caught fire; yellow flames slowly danced across her fingers and up her arms. She flailed wildly, but nothing would subdue the fire. Somehow, she couldn’t feel them burning.

“Your hand- hold on, Calypso, your _hands_.” He frowned at her as though seeing her for the first time. “What have you done?” She thought he might be speaking to her, but his attention was on the glowing cylinder as though it would provide an answer.

“I don’t understand,” he said, looking back to Calypso. “Calypso, what _are_ you?” His intense curiosity was suddenly more alarming than the memories she’d been burdened with.

She wanted to tell him she was a _person_ , but she couldn’t find the words, or the certainty. “I don’t know,” she shook her head. “Please, I don’t know.” She whispered.

“It’s okay,” the Doctor took her shaking hands into his own and smiled. “Just breathe, it’s going to be alright.” He didn’t seem to be burned by the flames either, but she could see there was still a hint of fear in his eyes.

She tried to believe his lie, but it grew more difficult as she felt the fire spreading. In its wake she felt a strange numbness. The room began to glow brighter around her and she felt it consume her entirely.

“It’s funny,” his eyes met hers again briefly. “But you did this for me. The last time.”

“The last time?” She searched his face for some sign of familiarity but she could not find it. How could he speak of knowing her if she had never met him before in her life.

“Calypso?” His voice had lost its soothing quality and now had an edge to it. “How- what are you doing?”

She tried to shake her head but the numbness had spread and she couldn’t will herself to move. She couldn’t even feel the Doctor’s grip on her anymore, it was as though she was fading entirely.

“This is- this is _Huon_ energy. This is _impossible_. Calypso I need to know how you’re doing this!” He was almost shouting now and his eyes were filled with a frantic intensity. But it didn’t matter because she faded further and lost all sensation. Then there was nothing left but the void.

 


	3. The Plague- 1349

Calypso stumbled through the thickets, her shoes had long since worn holes through the soles and her feet bled freely as she walked. She didn’t care though, nor did she care that her dark hair now looked matted and tangled, or that she probably smelled like the sewage in the streets. None of those things mattered to her, because she had lost everything. There was only the plague now, only death.

Six years she had spent rebuilding her life after she had lost the convent. And it had been a good life, a good home. Her mind lingered on those memories, just for an instant. But it was too much, too hard to think about, knowing it was all gone. She didn’t want to see his face, or remember the bloated corpse he had become. She didn’t want to remember how she had spent days in the room with him, begging the disease to take her too. But it didn’t, and they had finally come for his body. She’d lost the strength to fight them off, but that didn’t stop her from screaming obscenities at them as they did so.

She felt hot pinpricks in her eyes, but she didn’t fight, she was too exhausted, and too empty to cry any more. She held out hope that the earth would open up and swallow her whole, if only she could walk far enough. Distance herself from the pain and the agony that had snatched away her joy.

“Oi!” A man’s voice called from the road she had crossed. She paid him no mind. “Got us a beggar woman!” He called as though to his friends. Somewhere in the part of her mind that continued to stuff scavenged roots and water down her throat, a warning went off. But she couldn’t have run, even if she’d wanted to. Her limbs were thin and useless, only her bitter anguish kept her on her feet, moving forward. In the hopes of finding some end.

“Hey!” He was closer now, perhaps he had followed her into the thickets. “Look ‘ere!” When she refused to look back, she heard the whistle of a stone wing past her shoulder. For a moment she felt her misery transform to rage, bubbling up to replace the shell she had become. The urge to turn and hurl stones at him until she fell exhausted rose up, and then died bitterly. She couldn’t make herself care.

All she had was the hope that someday she would fall, and then she would see him again, her Anthony, one last time. To see his smiling face in the next life, that’s all she wanted. She was done with this world, and its confusion.

The next stone caught her square in the back of the head, the pain was sharp and she gasped as the world spun. She stumbled and fell to her hands and knees. She heard their scrabbling feet approach as they surrounded her, no doubt the kind of scum who had taken to thieving those too ill and weak to fight them off. She cursed them as one of them kicked her shoulder, knocking her to her side.

“Next time you’ll mind me when I call.” A squat balding man stood above her, a cruel grin on his lips. He added another kick to her stomach, knocking the wind from her lungs. He laughed as she curled around protectively, trying desperately to catch her breath. “Looks like a witch,” he announced to the other two men that were nothing more than gray blurs to her. “Only one thing for it.” His tone was deadly serious and that caused her to look up at him again. She could see it in his eyes, he wasn’t just some bandit, he was a monster. There would be no mercy from this man, only a painful death. A part of her was grateful, after all, this had been what she wanted. But she tasted bile in her throat and felt fear course through her veins.

He struck her in the face with a heavy fist, “Don’t look at me, witch eyes.” He spat in her hair, but she couldn’t focus. The world had reduced to star-burst patterns and clawing fear. Her fingers grasped the ground, struggling to crawl away from the man. She should have run, she wouldn’t have gotten far, but she should have run. Her efforts now were useless, one of the men grabbed her by a handful of hair and hoisted her to her knees. The bald man kicked her in the stomach again, and then connected his knee with her mouth. She tasted blood as another fist connected with her ribs. No matter where she tried to defend herself, they found another, more vulnerable place to strike.

  1. She repeated the name in her mind as a mantra fighting the pain that overtook her. She was too weak, she couldn’t fight them away. Angry frightened tears streaked down her cheeks, but it did nothing to stop the men.



“Why ain’t she screamin?” The man who held her hair asked. “No fun innit?”

“I’ll give her something to scream about,” the balding man said with a smug grin. He reached for his belt and nodded to the man behind her. “Hold her down.”

She shook her head, she couldn’t make her voice work, but she knew she if she could she’d be reduced to begging. She didn’t want to die this way, broken and screaming. She’d wanted peace. They weren’t going to let her have that. She reached up with her broken nails and raked them along the man’s arm and face as he tried to pin her to the ground. He shouted and swatted at her, but another took his place. The bald man laughed and kicked her in the ribs sharply, the vicious pain stilling her. She felt her tunic rip and she continued to thrash, but she could already feel the strength leaving her.

“Oi! You lot!” She heard a woman’s voice calling in the distance. _Run._ She begged the woman. _Run away_. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” The grip on her shoulders loosened as the men turned to see who was daring to interrupt their fun.

“Mind your business whore!” The balding man shouted at the newcomer. He turned back to his men with a grin. “We’ll be with you shortly.”

Before they could continue, something whistled through the air, striking one of the men above her in the shoulder. His grip released as he stumbled backward, staring at the shaft that had buried itself in his arm.

“Next one’s in your throat.” A man’s voice warned them. It was the first time Calypso dared to hope, his voice wasn’t a threat, it was a promise.

“Just a witch ‘ere!” The balding man was unimpressed, he hauled her up by the back of her neck. She could barely see the two figures on the road, but they were armed. Another arrow fired across the gap and the man had to throw himself to the ground to avoid being at the pointy end of it. Calypso didn’t have the strength to stand on her own, and so she fell too. The man who’d already been shot was stumbling away, and the third had joined him in fleeing. The balding man looked at Calypso with a snarl, and then he too was running. For the first time she could remember, she felt something other than misery. She felt relieved.

“I’ll ‘ave you!” The woman shouted at the retreating men as she grew closer. “Always wanted to say that.” She rolled Calypso onto her back as gently as she could, her grin replaced with a look of concern. “Blimey, they’re right scum. Are you alright?”

Calypso swallowed, more tears coming unbidden. She was so exhausted, so tired from fighting and running. She couldn’t answer her. She saw the man blur past as he nocked another arrow, ready to fire into the distance.

“Oi! Doctor, leave em. I think she needs proper help.” She turned her attention back to Calypso as she brushed the hair back from her face. “Can you speak sweetheart? What’s your name?”

The man knelt next to her, pressing a cool hand to her forehead. “It’s alright,” he reassured her. “We’re going to get you help.” His hand stiffened against her face, and she could see the intensity of his eyes boring into her. “Calypso?” His voice was a harsh whisper as he spoke it, and she wondered absently how she could have told him her name when she couldn’t open her mouth. “Calypso is that _you_?”

“You know her?” Donna looked up at the man, concern in her voice.

“I-I…yes.” His voice shook as he pressed a hand against Calypso’s cheek. There was something familiar about his voice, and his warm brown eyes. Something that Calypso was struggling to place in the slowly darkening thoughts.

“Doctor?” she mumbled as her eyes finally closed.


	4. Chapter 4

“How do you mean? If she’s not got a Tardis, and she’s not a time lord, how’s she bouncing around time then?”

Calypso woke to the sound of the woman’s voice somewhere nearby. She struggled to open her eyes, but it was so bright, much brighter than it had been outside.

“Donna,” the man was there too, though she couldn’t see either of them. He sounded exhausted as he answered. “It’s complicated.” She knew that voice, she remembered his name just before she’d lost consciousness. But it was gone now, like a ghost from her dreams. Her eyes slowly adjusted as she lay there, wrapped in a warm blanket, revealing the two speakers nearby.

“Well, uncomplicate it then, spaceman.” The woman stood with her hands on her hips. Her brilliant red hair was pulled back from her face, and she wore a bright purple tunic down to her knees, with gray tights covering her legs.

“She’s from Gallifrey,” Calypso focused her eyes on the man, trying to remember where she had seen him. His hair seemed to defy gravity as it stuck out in strange directions, and he wore a blue suit. Her heart hammered in her chest, she _knew_ this man. But she was having trouble believing it.

“So…she _is_ a Time Lord? You’ve randomly found another time lord just kicking around in the dark ages?” The woman he’d identified as Donna seemed skeptical.

“No,” he shook his head. As he shifted, Calypso realized his hand was holding hers, his thumb absently stroking the back of her fingers. “Not a Time Lord. A Gallifreyan. We called them the Engineers. She’s got Huon particles in her, which react with her biology somehow, and send her forward through time. I don’t know why.”

“Huon particles? You said those were deadly.”

“Well, that’s because they _are_ , strictly speaking. But the Engineers were the original builders of the Tardis. They were bound to build up some resistance to it, working with them for so long.”

“Doctor?” Calypso finally found her voice as she coughed to clear her throat. Her mouth was stale with the coppery taste of dried blood, but she found she wasn’t in any pain. The Doctor turned immediately and she started, the same wide brown eyes stared back at her, the same face. He smiled at her as he saw she was awake. “You’re the same…” she said wonderingly as she tried to sit up.

“Thought I’d hang onto this face a while longer, bit fond of it,” he grinned as he helped her sit against the wall. She felt woozy as she moved, but things started to settle gradually. “It’s good to see you up.”

“Do you know this man?” Donna asked with a tilted head. “Because he’s absolutely barking _mad_. I’m Donna, by the way. Donna Noble. So you’re a time traveler too, yeah?”

“Donna,” the Doctor chided her gently as he reached for a brown mug on a table nearby. “Here, drink this. It’ll help clear things up.” She took the warm mug and sniffed it carefully before taking a sip. It burned as it went down, but it also spread a comfortable warmth through her, helping soothe the remaining aches in her body.

“Well, I just want to know. You know, is she a proper space cadet, or is she just one of the poor sods you up and kidnap from time to time.”

“Honestly Donna, you’ll confuse her. And I didn’t kidnap you, so stop holding that against me.” Donna rolled her eyes.

The drink was having more than just an effect on her body, she could feel it spreading through her thoughts, brushing away the dust and cobwebs that had gathered there in the last few weeks or maybe even months. She had lost track of time since Anthony had gone, lost track of everything. And while she wanted to know how a man she had met in a convent almost fifty years ago still looked the same, it was the word ‘Gallifreyan’ that had caught her attention.

“Did you- Did you say you knew where I was from?” It was the one thing that continued to haunt her; her inexplicable past.

“Yes,” he said, searching her eyes. “How much do you remember from the last time we met?”

“I…” she felt a little reluctant to tell him, since it still seemed so impossible that it was the same man. “I was a Sister at the Saint Ada convent, we had a creature attacking our animals. You showed me a blue box.”

“Convent, convent…” he pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Ah, yes. Right. So that, that was _your_ first. So you don’t know- Well, _any_ of it, I suppose. We’ve met a few more times- Well, _I’ve_ met you a few more times. I guess. From my perspective.”

“Oh right,” Donna snorted. “Wouldn’t want to confuse her.”

“Let’s just start from the beginning, yeah?” He raised his eyebrow at Donna. “Your people, and my own. We both come from a place called Gallifrey. It’s a planet in a whole other galaxy, millions and millions of light years away from this one.”

“Fourteenth century might be a _bit_ early for astronomy lessons, Doctor.”

The Doctor paused, and shrugged. “Right. Well, it’s a world, like this one, but it’s…it’s a long way off. A different world, it’s red and orange, it looks like a ball of fire from the sky.” He smiled, as though remembering the place himself. She didn’t really understand what he meant, but the dreams had never left her and as he spoke, the rolling fields of red grass came back to her sharply. Two glowing orbs floating in the sky. It seemed like madness, and yet, it almost seemed real.

“And you’re a time traveler. Of sorts.” He said the words slowly, so she might have some hope of digesting them. “I use a ship, the blue box, to take me where I want to go. You seem, well, you seem to use the Huon energy that’s been woven through your DNA. It’s actually a rather brilliant design, instead of needing a protective shielding to-”

“Doctor,” Donna put her hand on his shoulder. Giving him a look. “Bit much.”

“Right,” he nodded quickly, returning his attention to Calypso. “The details aren’t important. It’s just the basic time travel bit.”

“I’m sorry,” Calypso shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying.” Donna said with a snort.

“Well, d’you know how time generally goes? One day at a time? You work, you eat, you sleep, and then it’s the next day. And that’s pretty much how it goes until you’re done?” She nodded, that seemed easy enough for her to follow. “Well, you and I don’t have to do it that way. That blue box I showed you, it can go to any day I want, immediately. I don’t have to wait for all the other days to pass. And neither do you. I imagine that’s how you ended up here.”

“What do you mean?”

“When you vanished, that night in the convent. What happened? Did you wake up the next morning in your bed?”

“I guess…” she thought back, she had done her best to push it out of her mind for so many years. Her past had always been so complicated, and it was easier to dismiss it entirely, than try to make sense of it. Instead, she had invested herself fully in the kind man she had met when she arrived here. She had built a life with Anthony, and none of the questions of her past had mattered anymore.

She did remember though. The yellow fire consuming her, waking in a strange place. Unable to explain how she had gotten there, and confused as to how the years had seemed to pass without her knowing it.

“I just arrived here. I don’t know. Time had passed, I wrote letters to the convent to try and explain my absence, but there was no one who knew of me, or the people I asked about.” She paused, “So you’re saying when I vanished that night. I traveled through time to get here?”

“Yes, exactly.” He smiled.

“Are there…others like me?” She asked. She hadn’t dared dream that she could discover her heritage since her time in the convent. But this man, this time traveler; he knew of her past, maybe he knew of her family. Maybe he could even take her to them. Her heart surged with the possibility, filling her with a sense of hope she’d never before had. His mouth hung open, hesitant to answer. “My people, do they still reside in Gallifrey?”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Donna’s eyes had turned sad as she covered her mouth.

“No,” the Doctor said slowly. “I’m sorry. They don’t. Gallifrey…” he swallowed. The smile he so readily wore when he was fleeing for his life was suddenly replaced by the face of a broken man. “It’s no more. There was a war-”

“Oh, don’t tell her.” Donna’s voice was a soft pleading. “She doesn’t want to hear.”

“She needs to know,” he stared down at the floor, pain clear in his eyes. “There was a great war. A great _terrible_ war.” He turned his gaze back to Calypso and she felt herself shiver. “Both sides were tearing each other apart. And I- I was a part of it. I had to stop it. The whole of the universe would have perished. Billions upon billions of lives would have been blinked out of existence. So I ended it. I had to-” he sounded as though he were still trying to convince himself. “Calypso, I’m so sorry, but our people are gone.”

The silence hung in the air as the meaning of what he said slowly sunk in.

“What?” Her voice was a harsh whisper. “How could you just- how can you end a _war_?” He swallowed, unwilling to answer the question, but the deafening silence was answer enough. He had done something terrible. And many people had died because of it. The hope she had felt, for the answers to her questions, was snuffed out like a candle in the rain. She suddenly couldn’t breathe, feeling as though she had been physically struck.

“But- but I had a home. I had a family.” Her voice trembled as she spoke, she couldn’t remember them, but she knew if she had just been able to go back, she would have found them. She _knew_ they were real, and now they were gone. Dead. She shook her head, as though she might erase the words he had spoken. “Why? _Why?_ ” She whispered, tears filling her eyes once more. He had given her hope, and then he had snatched it all away.

“I’m so sorry,” he looked desperate to make her understand. “If there had been any other way. I swear it. I would have given anything to have not done it.” He pulled her hand toward him, gathering her in his arms as he hugged her. “I’m sorry.” He leaned back and cupped her face, his brown eyes desperate for forgiveness, but she was too stunned, too broken to give it.

“I know,” he nodded, seeing in her eyes that she couldn’t. He stooped forward and kissed her cheek where her tears had fallen. “I’m sorry.” He whispered again, his breath warm against her skin. She jerked back, startled at the intimate gesture.

“What are you doing?” She snatched her hand out of his grip, pressing herself further into the wall to escape his touch. How dare he touch her like that when her Anthony was gone, only recently torn from her. “Get away from me!”

“I’m sorry!” The Doctor looked just as startled as she, “I didn’t mean- I forgot when this is for you.”

“It’s not his fault, love.” Donna spoke soothingly, trying to assuage her anger over Gallifrey. “He was trying to help.”

But she wasn’t listening, she didn’t want to hear her make excuses for this man, this _murderer_ who sat in front of her, who touched her as though he knew her. She leapt from the bed, pushing past the both of them. Her weak legs were shaky as she tried to run, and she stumbled, falling toward the green pulsing tube that she recognized from years ago.

“Sweetheart, it’s alright!” Donna called after her, but she ignored her, keeping her eyes on the Doctor. He was the monster who terrified her now.

“Let us help you,” he said, striding forward again, doing his best to calm her. “You’re severely malnourished. We can get you fed, and set you on your way.”

Her broken shoes snagged on the iron floors and she tumbled backward, she fell across the table, her hands scrabbling over the dials as she tried to catch herself. The floor shook and the room wheezed, but her eyes stayed locked on the man in front of her. He bent down to help her stand, but she shook her head vehemently.

“Dont! Don’t touch me!” She shrieked, not even knowing why it was so important that he didn’t.

“Alright,” he said slowly, he stopped in his tracks and crouched down on the ground next to her. “I won’t. I swear it. I’m sorry Calypso. It was my mistake. When we last met, we-” he shook his head, a pained smile flickered across his face. “We were friends. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“What’s happening?” Donna’s voice was alarmed, from something more than Calypso’s outburst. “Doctor, what’s she doing?” The tingling had started again, it had been years since it had happened, and yet it was instantly familiar to her again. She raised her hands up and saw her flesh crawling with the same yellow flames. “Are you alright?” Donna looked between Calypso and the Doctor, unsure why neither of them appeared to be panicking.

The Doctor ran his hand over his face, finally looking at Donna, “She’s going.” He said quietly. He looked back at Calypso and she could see how much it had hurt him, to tell her about Gallifrey and the war. But there was more to it than that, the way he looked at her, like her rejection had struck him hardest.

“Going? Bloody going _where_?” Donna was nearly shouting now.

“I am sorry,” he repeated, his gaze never wavering from Calypso’s eyes. His hand reached out once more, but fell short when he remembered his promise. “Safe travels.”

She could feel the misery radiating off of him, it was like a cloak she recognized from having worn so long. He was like her, completely alone. But she couldn’t make herself forgive him, not yet. A frightened sob rose in her throat as her body became numb and the room around her faded. The last thing she saw was the Doctor’s haunted eyes, and then the world disappeared completely.


	5. Chapter 5

-1483-

-Tower of London-

 

Calypso was grateful for the mercifully cool interior of the castle as she went about completing chores. She did her best to keep the cobwebs and dust piles at bay in the long empty halls that overlooked the courtyard. She heard the boy’s shouts down below and peered through the window, finding Edward and Richard sparring with wooden swords.

Richard, the younger boy, struggled awkwardly as he swung at Edward, who corrected his stance like a tutor. She was glad to see the boys together, it had been lonely with Edward on his own, since the state had refuted his right to the crown. The whole country seemed to be in upheaval about the change, but Edward seemed happy to ignore it. And they were safe enough from the dangers of politics here inside the tower walls.

She smiled, glad his brother had arrived. She’d been just another faceless worker in the bustling castle a few months before, until she’d come across a little boy, weeping in the stairwell. It had been Edward, more boy than man at thirteen, lonely and afraid in the world. She’d seen her own hardships reflected in him, and made a special effort to seek him out during the day. Distracting him from his misery with her stories. Now she served as both a maid, and the boy’s nurse, as no one had thought to provide them with one.

“Oh, you’re a sight for sore eyes.” The voice caused her to jump, realizing that instead of sweeping, she’d been staring out the window. A tall man had appeared behind her, grinning with a shock of floppy brown hair falling across his forehead. He wore nothing she recognized as court fashion, but they still appeared to be finely tailored fabrics. Dark trousers and a strange brown coat, with a bright red bow at his throat completing the outfit.

“I’m sorry,” she realized she was being rude in her shock. “You startled me.” She didn’t address him properly, because she didn’t recognize him as one of the visiting dignitaries.

“Yeah,” his grin softened. “I tend to do that. I’m a proper space ninja. Come here,” he crossed the distance between them hurriedly and before she thought to protest, his arms were wrapped around her in an embrace.

She thought it might be some sort of cultural difference as far as greetings went, and tried not to argue. Until his hand slid to her waist, and his other trailed up her neck, lifting her chin to meet his gaze. She felt her face flush as she was caught beneath his green eyes that matched the smile on his lips.

She’d heard stories about some of the aristocrats taking liberties with the workers, how it was somehow deemed less demeaning than paying the common prostitutes in the city. Fear rushed through her as she remembered, also, the stories of those who refused such advances. “Oh, I have _missed_ you.” He murmured in a tone that she didn’t quite expect, nor could she explain.

Then he leaned forward, pressing his warm lips against her own, breathing her in. She froze, afraid of what he might do. But his movements were gentle, and tender. It wasn’t at all how she’d imagined the brutality the other maids had described. He deepened the kiss, his tongue probing past her lips as his fingers trailed down her throat where they burned like embers.

She jerked back and slapped him as hard as she dared. Her chest heaved and her thoughts raced. Perhaps if she ran now, she could disappear into the city before the guards were alerted. She ducked past him, ready to ignore the strange sensation of familiarity the man had with her and just _run_. But her broom had been forgotten on the floor, and it tangled between her legs, abruptly ending her flight.

“Calypso?” His voice was quiet, worried. “Are you alright?”

The question, along with his tone, was perplexing, and she found herself turning to face her attacker. There was no fury in his eyes, despite the blooming red spot on his cheek where she had struck him.

“I’m sorry, sir. But you had _no_ right.” She shook her head, frightened tears coming unbidden to her eyes. If he knew her name, she could be found. All she could think of now were her dangling feet at the gallows. Once, that might have been a relief. But not here, and not now.

“No. No, of course not.” He agreed as he knelt down, reaching out to help her stand. She scuttled backwards, clumsy movements putting distance between them. He raised his hands to allay her fears. “I’m sorry. I made a mistake.”

She couldn’t take her eyes off him, fear still coursing through her veins. She didn’t know if she believed him, but he made no move to approach her again.

“Calypso,” he said again, unnervingly knowing who she was. “Do you _know_ me?” The look in his eyes was earnest, almost pleading.

“Sir, I do _not_.” Her voice warbled, but she fought back her tears. She didn’t want this man knowing how frightened he had made her, or how frightened she still was. She clenched her jaw, willing herself to be stronger. “How is it you know of me?”

It looked as though she had struck him again, without moving at all. He smiled, but this time it was a shadow of the emotion he’d shown earlier. “Sorry,” he whispered. “Wrong face, I suppose.” He seemed to be talking to himself, because Calypso could make no sense of it. “Please don’t cry, I can’t bear it when you cry. I’m sorry.” He tried again. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I thought…” he swallowed, and she felt a twinge of pity for this stranger, who looked as sad and lonely as Edward had when she’d found him huddled away on the stairs. “I thought you were someone else.” He finished, clearing his throat. “That was completely out of line, I apologize. Here,” he plucked up the broom and offered it as an olive branch to lift her from the ground where she was still sprawled.

She accepted it reluctantly, sniffing quickly, unsure of what to make of the stranger as he put the broom gently against the wall once she stood. “Are…are you going to report me, my lord?” She asked, her eyes focused intently on the floor.

“What?” He seemed appalled at the suggestion. “No. What kind of rubbish is that? Report you? No. Absolutely not.” He became quite serious. “Is there someone here who does that? Are you being mistreated?” He searched her face carefully for an answer, a frown furrowing his brow.

“No,” she shook her head. Bewildered by his questions, and his seeming concern. He was a very strange man. “I have just heard…stories.”

“Yes, well.” He straightened his red bow and tugged on his tunic importantly. “You just let me know if any of these ‘stories’ come to call. I’d like to have a little chat with them.”

“Yes, sir.” She said quickly. “Is there…something I _can_ help you with?” Perhaps if she made herself useful to him, he would be willing to overlook her offense.

“Well, I- Yes. As a matter of fact.” He caught a glimpse of the boys down in the courtyard. “Tutoring, I’m here to do the tutoring. For the princes.” He pointed, in case she didn’t believe him. “The ones down there.”

“Yes, I’m familiar.” She nodded. It was one of the strangest encounters in her life, and she had led a very strange life.

“Uncle’s very keen on keeping them sharp. And then the banquet later, love a good banquet. Will you be attending?” He asked innocently.

“No, sir.” She couldn’t help the skeptical look that came to her face. “The staff do not dine in the hall.”

“Oh. Right. Staff. Why you’ve got the broom…thing, I suppose.” He frowned. “That’s a shame. Well,” he clapped his hands together. “The tutoring. I’ll just be off, to do. That.” He gave a sharp nod, and the smile returned to his face as he winked. “See you around.”

She managed to curtsy only after his back had turned, too flustered by the strange events to remember even her basic manners. She stared down the hall until he disappeared from view; his clothing still distractingly odd. She chewed her lip, absently remembering the warmth and strange tenderness she’d felt when the man had kissed her. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves; but it continued to bother her. There was something very odd about it all.

No one had called her Calypso in years. Not since that man with the strange blue box.

____________________________________

She carried a fresh pitcher of water up to the prince’s chambers. It was later than she was meant to be in this part of the castle, but Richard had contracted a mild fever that afternoon, and she wanted to be sure he was properly cared for.

He was still growing accustomed to his life in the castle. While his brother certainly made things easier, eight years old was an early age to be separated from ones mother.

She knocked at the door quietly before she entered, Edward had lit several more candles in the room than normal, giving it a welcoming yellowy glow. She suspected it was Richard’s nagging fear of the dark that had caused him to do so, and she smiled to think that such a young boy was taking care of his brother.

“Thank you, Callie.” Edward greeted her with a smile, certainly not the formal actions of a prince, but neither of them seemed to care for the pomp and pageantry of the nobles. But she wasn’t likely to forget that she was not their equals in stature, especially after the incident with the strange man.

“Of course, my lords. How are you feeling?” She asked as she crossed the room to the large four poster bed where Richard lay, swathed in blankets. His blond hair stuck to his damp scalp, but he managed a smile.

“A little better,” he swallowed as she placed the pitcher down, feeling his forehead. It was still warmer than she would have liked, but no worse. She soaked a rag with the cool water and placed it across his brow.

“Drink up,” she said, pouring some of the water into a mug and handing it to him as she sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m sure it will be better in the morrow.” She reassured him.

“Could you tell us a story?” Richard asked. “To help me sleep?” Edward climbed up on the bed, pretending to adjust his brother’s pillows, but then he settled himself as well, clearly just as interested in listening.

“I suppose I could,” she said with a smile. She hadn’t known any of the stories she’d been told as a child, if she had been told any, and so she’d had to make them up. Mostly she made up stories about what her life might have been, but today she remembered a new story. One that wasn’t entirely untrue. “Have I ever told you the legend of the blue box?”

“No,” Richard’s eyes were wide. “What’s it about?”

“It’s about a great wizard who saved the Sisters of Saint Ada with his blue box.”

“A box?” Edward snorted. “Not very impressive for a wizard.”

“Oh, but it _was_ impressive.” She smiled at the memory of the box; it was like nothing she had ever seen before or since. The feeling of home and belonging when she’d touched it was a powerful memory that never left her thoughts entirely. “It was a _magical_ box. On the outside, it just looked like an ordinary wood box. Only big enough for one person to be tucked inside. But when the wizard opened the door, it was different. There was a whole other world inside that box.”

Edward’s mouth drooped as he tried to imagine such a thing.

“How?” Richard asked, his voice full of wonder.

“Well, that’s easy. It’s bigger on the inside.” A familiar voice spoke behind her. “Because it’s a _magic_ box. Pay attention, Richie.”

“Doctor!” Edward cried out with a grin and Calypso looked over her shoulder to face the door. “Callie, this is our tutor. He taught us all about the sun today, and he didn’t make it sound all stuffy and boring like my other tutors. He said it’s a giant ball of burning gas that’s hurtling through the sky. And if I stood on its surface, it’d melt my skin off!”

Calypso couldn’t quite help the horrified face she’d made.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Eddie. You’d burst into flames well before you made it to the surface.” The man wavered slightly under the gaze of Calypso. “Well, I mean. That’s not _all_ I taught them. There was the bit about quasars, and galactic lightning, and. Um. Other, general… _things._ ” He waved his hand vaguely. The words were confusing in themselves, but her concern was based on the fact that it was the same man who had kissed her before. He was casually leaning in the doorway, smiling warmly at her.

It was equally worrying to hear him referred to as the Doctor. It wasn’t possible it was the _same_ Doctor, it just _wasn’t_. At yet, somewhere in her mind, she very nearly thought it could be.

She was frozen in place as he entered the room and shut the door behind him. “Lovely to meet you, Callie.” He said with a knowing grin. “I’m the Doctor.” She just stared at him, unable to speak. He turned his attention from her and mercifully directed it at the boys. “Richie, my boy. How are you feeling?”

“Better,” he said with a smile. “Callie was telling us a story about a wizard who’s got a blue box.”

“Oh, yes. Let’s have that then.” The Doctor hopped onto the corner of the bed and settled himself, crossing his hands over his lap.

“I-” She wasn’t sure what she could say, or even if she believed the thoughts that were running through her mind. Surely it _couldn’t_ be the same man, he looked entirely different. “Are you sure you don’t know the tale?” She asked finally.

“Course I do. But I still like to hear you tell it.” He grinned, his eyes glittering playfully. Both of the boys sat at attention, waiting for her to continue, so she had little choice.

“Well, there was a convent, a long time ago, not too far from where we sit now. And surrounding that, there was a large empty field. No one who crossed it ever lived to tell the tale, because in the middle, there was a giant hole so deep you could not see the bottom. And one day, the hole spit out a demon.” The boys gasped audibly and the Doctor gave his own look of shock. “The demon was just a baby at first, so it fed on rats, and then foxes, and then chickens and goats. Before long, it grew so large that even a whole _cow_ was not enough to sate its growing appetite.” Richard pulled the cover up to his chest.

“Oh, good,” the Doctor grinned, rubbing his hands together gleefully. “Almost to the part with the wizard. My favorite!”

“Hush!” Edward shushed him, an intent look on his face. The Doctor feigned a sour look, but held his tongue just the same.

“So when there were no more animals in the field for it to feed on, it came to the convent. Each night, the Sisters prayed to be saved, but each night the demon tore at their stone walls, smashed their windows, and broke through their doors.” Richard was nearly buried in his blankets now, and even Edward looked a little nervous. Calypso would have felt bad if she didn’t know that they both constantly requested frightful stories to scare them. “And then, when the Sisters were barricaded in their cellar, with nowhere to retreat, the western winds billowed across the field. With it, came the blue box. It was brilliant like the deepest blue sky, and it flew down to the convent to save them.”

“It flew?” Edward asked, his mouth opened wide.

“Oh yes, it soared through the clouds like the raven. Sweeping down to rescue them from the terrible demon.”

With a loud BANG from behind them, they all jumped.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” The Doctor was the only one who seemed unconcerned by the noise. Calypso turned to the door and saw that there was a chair wedged between the handle and the floor, keeping out whatever had slammed against it. “I was afraid of that. Good story, though you’ve forgotten the bit about the wizard rescuing the princess.” He said with a raised eyebrow as he hopped off the bed. Another bang rattled the chair, but it held steady.

“A-all the Sisters were princesses.” Calypso said.

“Yes, but one of them was _extraordinary_.” He met her eyes with that same grin, the one that somehow needed no explanation.

The door shook again, the attacks growing louder as someone tried to fight their way through it.

“Who’s there?” She asked loudly. She had no particular right to be in the boys room at this time of night, much less with a strange man, but nor should there be anyone else intruding.

“That’ll be good ole Henry.” The Doctor answered for her, pulling a metal stick from his pocket that cast a strange green glow from its end. She felt her heart pounding again, it wasn’t the same, but then it resembled it so closely that it was impossible not to make comparisons. He aimed it at the door and it gave off an unusual whirring sound. “Yes, I believe they’ve hatched,” he checked his gold wristband. “Right on time too. Alright everyone. Story time is over, who’s up for a bit of a trot?”

“A trot?” She shook her head, standing up and putting herself between the bed and the door. “It’s far too late, and Richard is sick. He can’t go running about.”

“Well, the bad news is he’s about to be _much_ worse than sick if he stays here.” The Doctor spun around, ignoring the door, his head bobbing as though he were searching for something.

“How much worse?”

“ _Dead_ worse. So…” He turned back to look at her. “The _worst_. I guess.” The door splintered inward with another bang, still holding, but not for much longer.

Calypso’s mouth felt dry as she watched him crawling around on the floor, pointing the glowing device at various points. “What’s the good news?” She asked, her eyes drawn back to the door.

“The good news is that I’ve got a plan- Mostly. It’s more of a plan in progress, but it’s definitely _something_. I can do an awful lot with _something_.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but the door groaned once more, and suddenly gave way with a crash.


End file.
